First International Distributor Meeting

April 18 – 21, distributors from around the world joined us to engage in educational outreach, hands-on product and equipment demonstrations, and tours of our manufacturing plant and distribution facility in Hickory, North Carolina.

Representatives gained insight on the value of engineering and agronomic considerations to ensure cost-effective erosion control and vegetative establishment practices.

Areas of focus included:
• Hands-on demonstrations of advanced hydraulic matrices, turf reinforcement mats and prescriptive agronomic formulations

• Green Design Engineering™ which provides natural, sustainable solutions for an expanding range of sites, including slopes, channels, shorelines, water management projects, waste containment sites, fine turf areas and environmentally sensitive sites

• A presentation on the importance of soil testing highlighting Profile Soil Solutions Software, PS³, a web-based design and selection tool which helps professionals design and select the right products to address both the physical and chemical properties of soil and other site characteristics

• Soil solutions and vegetative establishment practices for the golf course construction and maintenance markets

• Information about Turface Athletics’ soil conditioner products for sports fields and turf applications

“Bringing the international representatives together allowed them to share best practices and learn about all aspects of Profile’s products, capabilities and agronomic expertise in one sitting. It was a beneficial experience for everyone involved.” said Jeff Langner, brand manager for Profile.

View the official press release here!

Turface at Industry Trade Shows

January provided a busy start to the year in the sports field industry, with two of the biggest trade shows - the ABCA annual convention, held in Dallas, TX, and the STMA annual show, held in Orlando, FL

We had the chance to meet with a number of coaches, field managers, students, and ball players during the two events. We were proud to showcase our new Turface website at the booth, along with our industry-leading soil conditioners.

At the STMA show, we were proud to partner with DryJect LLC at our booth, showcasing the innovative aeration technology to reduce compaction, inject soil amendments into the root zone, and improve playability on natural grass fields!

Of course, one of the highlights was our annual pop-a-shot competition for prizes! Thanks to all who stopped by, participated, and helped Turface continue to be a leader at these important trade shows. See you next year!

Turface Launches New Website

Turface Athletics is proud to kick off the new year with a new website, promoting our complete line of soil conditioners, and comprehensive education to help make your fields safe and playable.

The site features a detailed event calendar with key industry events such as field clinics and educational seminars, and a searchable resource library with expansive content including technical sheets, installation guidelines, and product demonstration videos.

Visit www.turface.com today to see why Turface is still the #1 Conditioner for America's Most Playable Fields!

Profile Solutions Software (PS3)

Profile Products has created the industry’s first and only web-based design and selection tool that integrates erosion control engineering with agronomic excellence, called Profile Soil Solutions Software (PS3). This site enables design professionals, agencies, and contractors to access engineering and agronomic assistance for erosion and sediment control quickly and easily.

Since erosion control projects should never materialize without a comprehensive evaluation of soil, PS3 assists in the interpretation of sample soil. The analysis offers prescriptive application rates of various agronomic formulations based on key soil properties such as texture, classification, pH, nutrient levels, organic matter content, electro-conductivity, sodium absorption ratio, and potentially elevated levels of harmful salts and metals. In addition, it provides complete design documentation including product specifications, installation guidelines, CAD drawings and other pertinent technical information.

“The new PS³ software provides professionals with a holistic and sustainable approach toward cost-effective erosion control, vegetative establishment and subsequent reductions in sediment and other associated pollutants from leaving disturbed sites and entering water bodies,” said Michael Robeson, M.S., P.E., CPESC, technical services manager for PROFILE Products LLC.

You can access this software at www.profileps3.com. Please know the information you enter into the PS3 software will be kept in strict confidence and will not be released to any parties outside of Profile Products.

The Real Winner of the All-American Classic Regional Tournament: Turface® Professional Mound Clay®

A coach of the oldest Youth Baseball Organization league in the country, Tommy Williams, just finished hosting the 32-team, All-American Classic Regional Tournament in Memphis, TN, for 14 and 18 year olds. Spanning across 4 major fields, there was a total of 94 games played over a one-week period with teams from California, Georgia, Kentucky, and even Canada.

With all the activity and exposure, Williams is thankful to be Profile’s Turface® Professional Mound Clay® and Turface QuickDry® customer. Using these products on all 11 of his fields, Tommy relies heavily upon Turface’s efficacy in his 23rd year of hosting the All-American Classic.

Mound Clay allows pitching mounds, batter’s, and catcher’s boxes to withstand intense activity, providing the best footing and wear resistance possible. Turface Professional Mound Clay is virgin clay, devoid of additives that diminish preexisting clay quality. Because the pitching mound, batter’s, and catcher’s boxes are involved in every play of the game, daily maintenance is imperative.

Although daily maintenance might sound like a chore, Mound Clay responds exceptionally well to the heavy traffic imposed upon it. Thrilled with the quality of his fields, Williams said, “You would not believe how little repair work we do on our mounds just by using this product. The only signs I put up at the tournaments were my Turface and Profile Products signs because they have made our fields what they are today.”With the right application and maintenance, Turface products produce satisfied customers like Tommy all over the country. It’s not just a field—it’s a quality standard.

Phil Welch Stadium Relies Heavily Upon Turface® MVP® and QuickDry®

Mike Hebrard, owner of Athletic Field Design in Portland, Oregon is also the proud father of Andy Hebrard, third-basemen of the Missouri Western Griffons. While en route to his son’s opening game in St. Joseph, Missouri in late February 2009, the elder Hebrard was not expecting a call from his son’s coach, Buzz Verduzco, about an emergency clean-up project in the outfield of the Griffon's home field, Phil Welch Stadium.

In an attempt to place a new fence along the outfield line, the St. Joseph city contractors had drilled 90 holes into the ground. The depth of the field was miscalculated, resulting in 60 punctured holes in the irrigation pipes beneath the surface of the field. To make matters worse, while assessing the damage of the situation, the electrical contractor drove his tractor onto the outfield and ended up getting it wedged in the muddy, wet mire.

Hebrard embarked on getting the field up and running quickly with Turface® MVP® and Turface QuickDry®, products used both in skinned infield maintenance and in the construction and renovation of natural grass. Additionally, all of Turface products act as puddle absorbents, helping to manage excess moisture levels, while preventing fields from cracking or hardening.

For two days, Hebrard, Verduzco, and Griffon baseball players dug several ditches to allow the standing water to drain under the new fence. Once the surface was smooth, they spread, dragged, and rolled 2 tons of MVP and 1 ton of QuickDry to manage the remaining moisture and get the outfield dry and firm enough for play.

Thankful to Hebrard’s direction and Turface’s efficacy, the Missouri Western Griffons were able to resume their season the next day. Relieved after the clean-up was finalized, Hebrard said, “This was a total team effort on our front to get the field fixed. But the Turface products had a lot to do with the ability to get the Griffon season going.”

Profile Celebrates Success of United States Army Corps of Engineers Levee Revegetation and Erosion Control Workshop

"We hit a home run today,” said Profile’s Vice President of Erosion Control Solutions, Marc S. Theisen, commenting on the impressive turnout at the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Levee Revegetation and Erosion Control Workshop beside Lake Pontchartrain, LA.

On May 20, 2009, Profile Products gathered a group of 75 spectators to demonstrate tests plots of sprayed hydraulic mulches and turf reinforcement mats. Profile teamed up with the USACE, who promoted the event. They organized the attendance of local levee personnel, parish public works departments, contractors, and writers from Engineer News Record Magazine.

The test plot consisted of several categories of Hydraulically-Applied Erosion Control Products (HECPs) with Flexterra®, shot into Profile’s Enkamat® 7020 and Enkamat® R30. Three hydroseeders operated the demonstration while audience members were allowed to touch the plots for stability. Dr. Beasley from Louisiana State University, Doug Deem, a Marketing Development Manager for Profile, Marc Theisen, and a representative from the USACE all spoke after the demos, providing input on the products and their capabilities.

Proud of the event, Deem said, “It began raining after the initial application of HECP. Flexterra held up extremely well. We got a lot of positive feedback about our product, which was great.”

The encouraging reviews from the attendees signify a victory for Profile Products. After seeking assistance with their erosion control and revegetation challenges, audience members left the demonstration with a better understanding of Profile’s hydraulic mulches’ capabilities and new armoring techniques.